Pakistan polls body issues schedule for elections in February

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan's election body issued the schedule late Friday for general elections to be held Feb. 8, following an order by the country’s top court.

The nomination paper will be submitted Dec. 20 - 22, according to a notification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The election symbols will be allotted to candidates Jan. 13 and polling be held Feb. 8.

The development came following the top court’s order to issue the schedule by late Friday and the election will be held at the announced date.

Earlier Friday, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa, suspended the Lahore High Court decision that halted elections under the bureaucracy.

The top judge ordered the ECP to hold polls on time and directed it to issue the election schedule no later than Friday night.

On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court suspended the ECP notification that appointed deputy commissioners and other executive officers as District Returning Officers and Returning Officers for the elections.

The High Court issued the order on the petition filed by Barrister Umair Niazi, additional secretary general of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's PTI party, who sought the appointment of officials from the lower judiciary for the poll.

Later, ECP suspended its notification of appointment of bureaucracy as District Returning Officers and halted the process for general elections.

But earlier today, the chief justice reportedly summoned the head of the Election Commission and discussed the situation following the high court’s decision.

After the meeting, ECP filed an appeal with the top court and Esa scheduled a hearing.

Esa warned that the top court will not allow anyone to delay the elections and ordered the ECP to issue the schedule.

Last month, the ECP announced the much-awaited schedule for the election.

The elections were due in November following the completion of a five-year term of the outgoing National Assembly in August.

According to the Constitution, the election must be held within 90 days after the expiry of parliament's term.